Es 402 - Physical Fitness Exercise

        Makenzi Wade

ES 402

Final

The year is 2016 and it is time for my personal training client to make a change in his physical fitness goals. He has been working out for around six months and has made some physical changes, but now he is reaching a plateau and it is time to up his game. We are going to work on his goal of always wanting to compete in a 5K race. He doesn’t want to just participate, but rather shoot for a timed goal. His time period is 10-12 weeks to fully be ready to join the rest of his family in a 5K race.

        The good news for my client is that he has been participating in a circuit strength-training group twice a week and has begun to add free weight training to his routine. The negative side for him is he hasn’t been performing the cardio exercises prescribed to him to do on his own. A short walk here and there doesn’t check off the box in what he should have been performing. Basically we are starting at the beginning and because of his age of 55, we have to account for injury prevention as well. According to Runner’s World, May 22, 2013 many people overlook the importance of a good warm-up before they take off running. This is one of the main reasons injuries occur. Many people feel they can begin where they left off when they last did an activity or they feel they are in better shape than they really are.  The warm-up is really the key component to get the blood flowing to the muscles and to increase the heart rate for the activity that is to follow. The best warm up for running includes walking a few blocks first to loosen up your joints and muscles. Too often people assume their body will let them perform the way their mind wants them to perform.  Even the most advanced runner needs to warm-up and not start off sprinting. After moderate walking you are then ready to begin running at an easy pace. When preparing for a race, a good schedule would be to walk or jog fifteen to thirty minutes while adding strides of 100 meters.  Other warm-ups ideas include skipping, lunges and high knees along with static stretches.

        I want to talk a few minutes on the training cycle a beginner runner needs to focus on while preparing to run a 5K race. Many running coaches will stress an eight to ten week training cycle in preparation. The first day of the cycle involves rest or light walking. This component is often overlooked when in reality rest days are just as important as training days. Your muscles will thank you for the rest days! Day 2 is a 1.5-mile run followed by day 3 of rest. Day 4 involves another 1.5 mile run followed by another rest day. Day 6 is yet another 1.5 mile run followed by day 7 of a longer 30-60 min walk. Now that week one has been completed week 2 will increase distances on some of the days while still stressing the rest days. Each week continues to follow a similar yet realistic pattern that will build the runner up to running a full three miles by race day. There is no need to over push yourself or your body to obtain a certain speed. The participant needs to realize this is the beginning to hopefully many more races where increasing speed can become a component later on.

        The big component to tie into this training schedule is to integrate strength training into the running program. Peer reviewed research has found that strength training improves running performance. Stephen Haas, who is a member of a running team, stated that he noticed a difference in overall running performance and in his health when he added strength training to his training program. He also contributed the strength training to decreasing injuries for himself and his teammates (“How Strength Training Benefits Runners” 1). Another study conducted at the University of Chicago that had runners participating in a strength-training program three times per week had results that improved (American Physiological Society 1).

Yet another peer study had their participants strength training twice a week. They came up with results that increased the runner’s endurance and strength, which in turn showed significant improvements in their VO2max (British Journal of Sports Medicine 1). There seems to be a solid pattern of the inclusion of strength training in aiding to a runners overall performance. Not all strength training makes a person buff as previously believed, it obviously has many other factors that can help the runner achieve their optimal performance. I do want to point out that muscle soreness can result at times especially during the first strength training workouts. The benefit of improving your body composition will outweigh the slight discomfort of soreness. The studies overall did have positive effects on all the runners, however there really isn’t one set strength training routine that suffices for everyone. The conclusion basically states that; “You will be able to run faster, longer and stronger while adding strength training.”(Lobby 1). Another key factor is getting the runner to continue strength training even during heavy competition season. If a runner is sidelined from running due to injury or weather then strength training becomes an even bigger component to keep the runner in top shape. Getting back to our 55 year old that isn’t trying to run in the Olympics but rather compete in his first 5K run, these factors are just as important. The strength training along with proper warm-ups will keep the runner motivated and decrease his risks for injury. The addition of two days or so of strength training really doesn’t add a lot of time in the gym, it has shown significant decrease in running performances. The studies from “The Effects of Resistance Training on Endurance Distance Runners,” showed a 2.9% improvement in 5K performances. That is definitely shaving time off of your run.

        As previously stated about the 55 year old male wanting to make a change for the better in 2016, his goal of running a 5K first has to begin with something even more important than the warm-up. His mindset of wanting to make this change and accomplishing this goal has to come first. When you train the mind, the body will follow. For example, when you feel good everyday by getting up and exercising and this emotion becomes stronger than wanting to lay in bed and sleep in, you are heading in the right direction. Your own mindset has to outweigh what your trainer wants for you. The trainer can be your guide and your cheerleader and your coach, however it is you that has to want the set result of the goal. Two great words to avoid in accomplishing goals are eliminating the words HATE and BUT from your vocabulary. For example, when the runner says; I wanted to go for a run today, but it was raining so i couldn’t, he is making an excuse. There are always other options that the person has to reach outside the box for and seek alternative ways. The word hate is another enemy. I hate doing these weights, or I hate running in cold weather. These words transfer to the mind and will slow your performance goals. The 55 year old wanting to make a difference has to succumb to excuses first, and then he must think about his safety to obtain his goals. The safety factors of static stretching, walking and pacing oneself are vital in his accomplishing his 5K goal in the ten-week time period that has been outlined for him. Following the training program of a trainer will help him further his advancement in a positive manner as well. The training log is very important. Keeping him accountable with a time and date checklist is very helpful. Use of a calendar as you would any appointment in your daily schedule will accomplish this goal. For example, if you wake up and have a doctor’s appointment, odds are you don’t want to go but if you miss it you will still have to pay for it. This same theory should account for his daily training schedule. He is paying for the trainer or the gym time whether he goes or not. Because of this he should keep the appointment. Not only will he reap the rewards at the end of the 10-week training, by being able to compete and finish a 5K race, he will fulfill physical accomplishment that he first never believed he could achieve. Again, the mind satisfaction weighs in even as great as the physical accomplishments.